HUMPHREYS AND JONES LEAD WEST POTOMAC PAST HAYFIELD

2/25/25 - West Potomac High School did not look like a championship team tonight, but they did what they had to do to get a win over Hayfield Secondary School, 47-42.

West Potomac looked sluggish at the start and none of their shots were going in the basket, while Hayfield came out strong and took a 10-2 lead. But West Potomac seniors Jill Humphreys and Olivia Jones ignited an 8-0 run to finish the quarter, with Humphreys and Jones each scoring, hustling and making smart plays. The quarter ended with the score tied at 10.

In the second quarter, West Potomac started to build a lead. They went ahead 20-12 when Jones picked the ball from a Hayfield player and ran down the court for a lay-up. Hayfield’s Alexis Cox scored on the next basket and followed that up on Hayfield’s next possession with a nice pass to her teammate for a basket to make it 20-16.

In the third quarter, Hayfield’s Eva Phillips went on a tear scoring 11 points, including three 3-pointers to keep Hayfield close. But West Potomac’s Jones stole the ball and made a layup with 53 seconds to go to make it 36-30. Hayfield's Courtney Breland then got fouled on a driving and-one basket, and after converting the free throw, cut West Potomac’s lead to 36-33.

The fourth quarter consisted of a number of big plays by West Potomac, and four mid-range baskets by Hayfield’s Cox to keep it close. Perhaps the biggest play of the game was when West Potomac’s Lina Hashimi made a big block, and West Potomac ran the ball up the court and passed the ball to Humphreys who made a beautiful bounce pass to a cutting Dawn Houston for a layup, extending West Potomac’s lead, 40-35. And there were other big plays by West Potomac, including a quick in-bound pass from Jones to Humphreys under the basket for a layup, and a steal by Humphreys with less than a minute to go. Jones sealed the victory by hitting a pair of free throws in the final minute.

Jones, who made big play after big play tonight, ended up with 18 points, and Humphreys, who also made big plays throughout the night, poured in 12 points. Phillips scored 15 points and Cox had 14 points for Hayfield, which ended its season with a record of 25-6.

West Potomac moves on to the Regional Semi-Final game against red hot South County High School on Thursday night at Robinson Secondary School. These teams have played each other three times this season, with South County winning twice, including a victory last week on a last second shot.